


Navigating Harmony

by silasfinch



Series: A Canadian Family [2]
Category: Saving Hope
Genre: F/F, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 04:28:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12473500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silasfinch/pseuds/silasfinch
Summary: A Honeymoon Fic: Touches, Temptation, Talking and Tension(updated sections 5/11/17)





	Navigating Harmony

**Author's Note:**

> Unbelievably I have written 60k without doing a pure Honeymoon Fluff piece
> 
> (updated sections)

Harmony

  
The real act of marriage takes place in the heart, not in the ballroom or church or synagogue. It's a choice you make - not just on your wedding day, but over and over again - and that choice is reflected in the way you treat your husband or wife.  
Barbara De Angelis

Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence" Alan W Watts

 

Their honeymoon borders on involuntary.

Truthfully the notion of missing out on the post-wedding tradition slips both their minds. Eliana is the centre of every routine, and it delights them both. There is a delicate balance between the demands of medicine and the needs of a still fragile child. Sydney and Maggie are content to restrict their social circle to family, the hospital and the synagogue community groups. Maggie's social media reflects this truth

Apparently, this is not the case for Eliana's uncle, Declan.

"Mumma and I are looking after BGK for a week this spring" he announces casually over dinner as he feeds six-month-old Eliana her food, which she eats enthusiastically.

The couple looks at him with a blank look as if he has just announced a future career in balloon artistry and a travelling circus.

"Ah what?" Sydney says inching protectively towards the baby as if she might disappear in this whirlwind of spontaneity.

"You guys need to take a holiday for yourself. Eli is old enough now and has all her routines done. Mum and I can do the heavy lifting and have about ten doctors of call if anything comes up."

Sydney is sceptical, the idea of leaving their daughter is a daunting one but the way Maggie's face lights up is hard to ignore. The routine as a family of three is a glorious one, but they do lack time alone.

"I suppose we could manage a week, maybe Samual will let us borrow his cabin by Lake Olso, you always did like to hike," Syd says easily already thinking of ways to spoil her wife.

The Lin twins look at her with identical expressions of surprise, not used to her easy acceptance.

Maggie delights in the preparation, finding a series of accommodation options within a comfortable drive home. She chuckles when Declan produces a list of choices, with lists of attractions and highlights. Sydney lets her wife make all the decisions mainly because to do so makes the other doctor so happy but also because she does not care where they end up.  
*****

  
"Are you bisexual?"

Maggie blinks at the random question as they pause mid-hike in one of the nature trails that is a feature in the guidebook. Each morning they pick a path and walk for hours, chatting about any topic that comes to mind, neither of them can claim natural athleticism, so it is more of a bonding experience than actual exercise.

It is Maggie's favourite time of day, Sydney loves to hold her hand and introduces her proudly at any given opportunity to their follow holiday walkers. They meet the same people at various points around the lake.

"Because that's what every honeymoon…. needs a discussion of the Kinsey Scale? I hope you don't have too many doubts about my placement after last night, my love."

"What I mean is - we never discussed it beyond knowing you were into me and a psychiatrist or two. We talk about my identity in too much detail; I feel like this is selfish of me." Sydney explains as she stops to take a picture of a heron as it lands.

"I loved a girl in college, Gavin, and there was and always is, you," Maggie explains with a shrug.

"How can you sum your love life up in one sentence with oxygen to spare?" Sydney marvels, "wasn't this a big deal for you to comprehend?"

"When I got hit by a lightning bolt in Obstetrics sure, but that wasn't you being a female thing as it was you being you thing. Not many of my previous relationships were long-term enough to warrant the high-level investment of identity crisis."

Sydney walks on in silence for several moments.

"Is that why you always seemed so ok with my 'nomad' phase and didn't get angrier at me because you knew I would come back eventually?" she asks quietly

"I had the faith more than the certainty that you would be in my life in some capacity, even if it were just to offer me awesome cases and critique of my surgery techniques," Maggie explains softly.

"Your surgery skills don't need any critiquing, Dr Katz-Lin, you knew most of what I had to teach you already, you just needed a clear direction." Sydney counters.

"And an excuse to listen to your lectures about proper labour protocols because it made you look ridiculously attractive" Maggie confesses with a laugh.

"Thank you for waiting for me, for having the faith and patience akin to Job. You didn't have much of a reason to trust me" Sydney replies planting a kiss on Maggie's smiling lips.

"I'll adopt a label, buy a flag if you want me to, but all I want to be is yours" Maggie replies.

 

  
****

 

"What is your happiest memory?"

"A tie between first meeting you and first meeting Eliana" Sydney replies promptly, digging into her ice cream with gusto.

They are nestled together in a blanket fort, sampling food from the dessert bar in town.

"That is sweet, but I didn't mean in the present tense, that is far too easy for us both." Maggie is oddly intense as she asks the question.

"What is your happiest memory if you exclude the here and now and anything connected with me?"

Sydney pauses for several minutes, apparently marshalling her ideas into a semblance of order, her ice cream is melting mess by the time she begins to speak.

"That's not fair; you are my campus for such matters." The pout she gives is lovely.

Maggie kisses the frown away before offering her another scoop of chocolate chip, enjoying the smooth rhythm of discovering additional facts about each other.

"If I have to work within those parameters, I would have to say when I went on my first date with Layla in Tel Aviv; it was nothing special, we went to the movies and saw a documentary on the woman in Mossad.

Maggie does not feel threatened; she knows that Layla is happily in another relationship and planning to move to France, she feels more interested than anything else.

"It is the first time I was out with a woman for no other reason than going on a date; there was no ambiguity or no reason to hide anymore. I could be observant and a lesbian at the same time, at least for about 180 minutes."

Maggie smiles at the mental image, since meeting Syd she tries not to take her ability to date without fear for granted, and the idea of such simple joys is heartening.

"What about you, what is your favourite memory."

"Well I could tell you plenty of yarns about what Declan and I got up to in the school holidays or our gap years, but my favourite is the last time my father took me to his office," Maggie says reflectively.

"This is a couple of months before he died. I was just old enough to truly appreciate what he did and that I wanted to be just like him. He starts telling me about the basics of medicine and his best cases. He pointed out all the major muscle groups and nerves on the posture and gave the numbers he used to remember them."

"I bet you can still remember them."

"A challenge for another date" Maggie promises with a challenging smile.

"He was only ever neutral when we were talking about being a doctor, if anything personal came up it let to discussions about Mum."

****

  
When did you fall in love with me?

"The moment I saw you."

It is tempting to brush her off and ask for the 'real answer', but Syd means precisely what she says. There is nothing inherently wrong with snap beliefs made without evidence to back up her theories; it is part of the reason she has no problem believing Charlie when he talks about his experiences while in a coma.

"I am serious - the second you flounced into the room demanding to see the 'real doctor.'

  
*****

"What excites you when we do this?"

Maggie is always careful when bringing up this topic. She feels no desire to force Syd to 'discover' herself as if there is anything inherently wrong with who she was, is now or will be in the future.

She is not waiting for a better version of her wife to appear, just a happier one.

There are moments when questions like this are welcome when Syd is relaxing against her. It becomes easier for her to relax, she becomes more talkative and open, sharing little insights and opinions.

"There are too many things to count - mainly I like touching you."

"I knew I was a lesbian long before there were words for it. When I become a teenager, and my pale skin made my desires painfully obvious, I used to avoid touching my friends unless it was in safe areas." Sydney gasps as Maggie kisses each of her vertebrae.

"It became a sick game I played with myself, what was safe and what were not safe touches, sometimes I would blur my lines, not that anyone noticed, but it gave me a thrill, a cheap one but a thrill nevertheless."

Maggie hums in sadness but remains focused on the task

"I think Neshama knew, which is why she felt betrayed when I told her, my existence defined itself by touching her and she knew that"

Sydney is temporarily losing the thread of her narration in favour of sensation but is an excellent multi-tasker.

"I was fully prepared to do the same thing, ration how I touch people, almost like a penance for my sins."

 

Maggie knows her body well and takes the task of pleasing her seriously, but there is an extra reverence in how she feels now, counting each of the ribs and grinning as her body arches in appreciation.

"I think this is my favourite feeling in the world, knowing that you are here and nothing will change that. That I can go everywhere and be defined as simply being your wife."

 

 

******

  
“You have a thing for my glasses, don’t you?”

Maggie traces the objects in question with a joyful laugh as they sit on a large rock enjoying lunch and watching the light play on the water.

"What was your first clue, Sherlock?"

"I used to get teased for wearing glasses all the time, not that people needed ammunition back then, skipping so many grades did not make me popular. I never understood how they fascinate you so much."

"I am not alone, love. Many people appreciate the more scholarly look; there are Instagram feeds on the topic, even academic papers written on this subject" Maggie is laughing at the look of incredulity on Sydney’s face.

"I am cliché in this regard, Syd. I've always liked authority; I enjoy people teaching me."

"You were so intense on making me a better doctor, on teaching me how to care for mothers and babies, you order people twice your size to do your bidding, and they do. Billy wants to be you when he becomes a real doctor - I was so into how hardcore you were" Maggie bites her shoulder."

"Even though I refuse to learn more about Fifty Shades of Grey than the title?"

"That is a point in your favour, not against you. If I wanted more it wouldn't have been difficult to source, Toronto is a mecca for such things."

  
******

  
"You have a thing for defiance don’t you."

Sydney is on the verge of falling asleep, and it takes her awhile to register the question. Maggie is stroking her hair which is something of a nightly ritual, and it cures Sydney's insomnia like nothing else.

"hmmm"

"I am trying to figure out what could have possibly made me an attractive prospect when I was distrustful, rude and insulting to your religion" Maggie mused as they tangle together.

"You have considerable chutzpah...I could not get over your ability to challenge me" Sydney corrects with a smile.

Maggie knows the Jewish word and does not mind the comparison, but it is something that she is bemused by, Sydney found it so difficult to articulate herself when they first met, it was like trying to isolate a kaleidoscope and count its grains.

"I fooled everyone for years, cultivated a reputation for excellent surgical skills, decent teaching and atrocious social skills. In my everyday life, I was fading away, I felt so bad that it bordered on a dissociative state, complete with sleepless nights, but my friends, family and colleagues all bought the act."

Sydney rolls into her back, a distant look in her eyes.

"For whatever reason, you knew I was playing an act; you knew I wasn't a cross between Gregory House MD and a 100-year-old Jewish matron eager to marry, by choice. I was as approachable as a feral cat with her back raised yet you insisted on probing my castle in the air."

“You irked me like a contradictory patient or misdiagnosis; something was not sitting right" Maggie agrees amused sigh.

"It is not so much that you were always opposing me so far as you are demanding integrity from me when I made my choices, you were not afraid to be who you were. I think you are one of the bravest people I know. I think sometimes you are the one with the faith."

Maggie moves to tangle their limbs into a complicated mess and to kiss her forehead.

"I think you are the brave one, no matter how long it took, you stood up for the courage of your convictions. I am not the only one who could see it, love, why do you think you have patients refusing to consult with anyone else?"

 

 

 

*****

***

 

"Why do you always keep an eye out for those. I have never found a pattern that holds up to the next acquisition." 

 

Sydney is genuinely curious; honestly, she often wonders if she spent the best part of half and decade trying to compile information about Maggie Lin, alternatively as a promising doctor, a personal confidant and finally her wife. As with many people who are outwardly social and gregarious, there are layers that even the person who knows her best is starting to learn. They have spent almost their entire relationship with competing pressures on their time; it is nice to have these moments of outstanding companionship. 

Maggie looks up from the old clock she is cleaning with surprising expertise, from Syd's rough estimation it is the tenth piece timepiece the other doctor has collected, each kept in a custom box in their study. 

"That's because there isn't one to be found, even in the mind of a talented scientist. My dad developed a special relationship with each of us, for me, there were watches and science, for Dec, it was music and comedy. The first five years post devoice horrendously contentious, but we stayed connected through that one thing. 

"You carry on the tradition?"

"In a small way."

"Your Dad sounds like he was an amazing doctor and father."

"Minus the succession of younger girlfriends who wanted to braid my hair." Maggie agrees. 

"At least I don't have that to worry about; you would at least never cheat on me with somebody intellectually inferior, that would just be mortifying on multiple levels." Sydney smiles to take out any potential sting of the words."

"I think you are safe if for no other reason than you don't have any intellectual superiors in my eyes you are safe."

"Flatter"

 

"Why on earth did you kiss me that first time?

"I ran out of crossword puzzles and homeless shelters to bake for." 

"My wife, the endless source of unique pick up lines. 

Sydney laughs as she leans back to let Maggie brush out her hair for the night, taking a moment to compile her response. 

"I kept wanting to kiss you at the most inopportune times, usually before or after surgeries. So in a classic Freudian move, I found other ways to occupy my spare time. On that particular day, I ran out of new puzzles and collection points, and my willpower craved like a stack of cards."

"It was the oddest thing I have experienced up to date; I was busy feeling mortified by my 'good day' comment."

"I thought that if I could just kiss you once, your spectre would not haunt my dreams."

"How is that working out for you, Dr Katz-Lin?"

 

"I have never failed more spectacularly in my life complete with the dreams," Sydney replies. 

"The single best mistake in my universe, my love."

  
********

 

 

They end up saving a life by accident

They are spending the last few days of their holiday in a beautiful AirB&B cottage on the land of a lovely couple and their three children from Syd's temple, who are hoping to earn extra income while the dad recovers from cancer. Sydney and Maggie feel welcome immediately, especially when Martha all but demands pictures of the baby.

The cottage is a refurbished annexe with two floors and wooden floors; it overlooks the farmland and the creek. Their only alarm clock is the chickens demanding feed and the boys playfully arguing.

If they were not both surgery junkie control freaks, they could have considered buying a cabin somewhere. As it is they break out Operation: The Game to get a fix.

"Do not disturb the doctors" is a familiar refrain and the three boys under 9 do their best to obey, but it’s difficult with the notion of people's whose profession is cutting open sick patients and putting them back together.

Maggie and Sydney enjoy the boy's company and do not mind taking turns with them while Joshua rests, and Martha runs errands. They are polite and enjoy spending time with Sydney as she reads the Hebrew texts and challenging Maggie to run races in the paddocks.

A lovely few days to spend together with new friends.

"Maggie! Sydney! Help"

Both doctors start out of bed, disoriented but ready to leap into action, the tone in the boy's cries is unmistakable, something is wrong. Martha has taken Joshua and the youngest into town for a check-up so that immediate crisis is over.

"What's wrong, Mathew?" Sydney asks as the two boys come charging in, out of breath.

"It’s Nico - she is having her puppies, and she is sick," he explains shepherding them out the door.

"You know what to do, don't you? You help mothers and babies all the time" Toby echoes with a complete trust of a seven-year-old.

Maggie and Sydney exchange a look as they follow the boys into the main house.

"Human babies" Sydney corrects cautiously. The faith of a child is beautiful but possibly misplaced in this instance.

The boys don't seem to hear as they bring them to spare room where Nico, the Greyhound/ Labrador mix is lying in a nest of blankets and cushions. The boys adore the dogs, and they are confident in caring for them since their father became ill, they are staring with wide eyes.

"How far away is the vet? How many puppies does she have?" Sydney asks quickly, trying to read clear designs in the panting Caine.

"Four and a half an hour away," Mathew says promptly, he has already set up the family home animal supplies and a pile of Nico's favourite toys.

Nico is tiring, her labour is no longer productive, and the contractions are stalling, the first puppy is looking small and unresponsive. Maggie takes charge of warming him up and clearing the airway, waiting for the mewling cry.

Nico pants and strains and Sydney tries to manipulate the taut abdomen, trying to estimate the position of the remaining three puppies. The mother's vital signs are approximately stable, but they need to come out now.

Sydney switches into a medical mindset, and she almost forgets that the babies she is delivering are not human. She uses her stethoscope and equipment to keep track of Nico's heart rate

Puppy Two is almost as healthy as her brother and responds well to Maggie's gentle rubbing and cradling.

Puppy Three is similarly obliging but smaller and needs soft chest compressions to spark the instinct to breathe. Maggie has the boys cradling the healthiest pups to keep them occupied.

Sydney is muttering a string of medical jargon as she waits for the next series of contractions, as she flips through a canine anatomy textbook.

Puppy Four presents the most problems and needs assistance to negotiate the birth cannel, with Sydney working to manipulate the limbs that stick at odd angles. He emerges in a rush, not moving on his own, or responding to direct stimulation.

"Oh no, I am not losing my perfect streak on account of you, young sir" Sydney snaps with authority.

The three other occupants in the room watching as Syd leans over the puppy and starts performing resuscitation measures, treating the puppy as if he was a premature baby, right down to the gentle breathing in his nostrils.

It takes a long few seconds, but the smallest member of the new family lets out a tiny cry and begins jerking his limbs.

The boys let out whoops of triumph before settling down to follow instructions.

Operation lays forgotten for the rest of the holiday.

******

"We are not a hallmark card, Maggie."

"We do not have the time to commit to a new puppy now, I am still finding my feet in the new role, and Eliana is getting more mobile every day."

Maggie just looks at her pleadingly, all but bouncing on the souls of her feet in anticipation. It is an adorable scene, but Sydney needs to stay firm, she cannot cave to every tender desire, or else they will own half the local rescue society, adopt their next four children from Romanian orphanages and open a free clinic well into their 80s

Also, it set a dangerous president for their relationship if Maggie knew just how tempting it was to build her her every dream only for the joy of their ability to reconnect and plan a life together.

She doesn't particularly want to climb any mountains or start a couple's Youtube channel, but every line is a line in the sand when Maggie looks so happy.

"I am home for another seven months – I am fully able to integrate him and do the remedial training; May has a sister who runs a dog walking service, and most of her clients are hospital workers."

"We agreed that a dog was in the 5-year plan, behind publications and career advancement."

"You were also planning on being a roaming specialist, covering every continent, now you are married with a child, even your plans can change, Syd."

"You always wanted to start with rescue animals and progress to puppies." Sydney is familiar with the role of being the voice of reason.

"I am going to sponsor a few shelter animals until Eli is older and can help with more fragile ones. Besides this is the very definition of rescuing an animal, is it not?”

Sydney huffs and throws up her hands in defeat.

"If he passes all his checks and we puppy proof the house in time we can look at homing him"

Maggie does a little a happy dance and pulls her into an impromptu trip to the room, giving a running commentary on her plans and ideas for naming their newest addition.


End file.
